Former Minneapolis police offer Derek Chauvin will be serving the next 22.5 years behind bars for his role in the death of George Floyd. Chauvin has spent the last two months in solitary confinement after a jury convicted him of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter back in April. Today, June 25, he sat in Hennepin County court and judge Peter Cahill handed down his 270-month prison sentence.
Chauvin's defense attorney, Eric Nelson, argued that the former officer should instead receive probation and time served, or at least a sentence less than what the law guides. However, the judge didn't see it that way, and ultimately sentenced him to the 22.5 years, of which 199 days are already served. The maximum in which Derek could've been sentenced by law was 30 years.
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During the trial today, George's daughter, Gianna, delivered the first victim impact statement. "I ask about him all the time," his daughter said in an emotional clip. Someone in the video asked Gianna what she would tell her father if she could see him again. "It would be I miss you and I love you" she added. Later, George's nephew, Brandon Williams, spoke in court, calling his uncle's death "truly unimaginable." He stated, "Chauvin killed George, not only did he kill George, but he also displayed a total lack of consideration for human life as he did so. You saw it. I saw it. And millions of people across the country and the globe witnessed the act of hate."
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Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank, who spoke at Derek Chauvin's sentencing, argued that Chauvin abused the power he had as a police officer on the day he killed George Floyd. "This case wasn't about police officers, all police officers. It wasn't about policing. This case was about Derek Chauvin disregarding all that training he received and assaulting Mr. Floyd until he suffocated to death," he said.
Elsewhere during the sentencing, Derek's mother, Carolyn Pawlenty, spoke publicly for the first time, saying her son is "a good man" and someone who "always dedicated his life and time to the police department." "Even on his days off, he would call to see if they needed help," she said.
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Lastly, Derek Chauvin himself spoke briefly to the court, giving his condolences to the Floyd family. "I want to give my condolences to the Floyd family," Chauvin said. "There's going to be some other information in the future that would be of interest and I hope things will give you some peace of mind."
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R.I.P George Floyd.
